Treatment Options for Serious Back Pain

Back pain may be continuous, abrupt, mild or crippling. There is a variety of back pain treatments including medication, exercise, and chiropractic care.

Treatment options include:

1. Pain medications including acetaminophen and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs as well as other medications including corticosteroids, opioids, antidepressants, anticonvulsant, and lidocaine patches.

2. Chiropractic health care focusing on the relationship between the spine and function.

4. Bioelectric therapy which is a safe form of treatment that is used for chronic pain and acute pain conditions. It provides pain relief by intercepting and blocking pain messages to the brain.

5. Nerve blocks that are used to address pain caused by a group of nerves that causes pain in an organ or body region. The nerve block is an injection of nerve numbing substance used on a specific area of the body.

6. Spinal cord stimulation which delivers low level electrical signals to the spine or specific nerves to block pain signals from getting to the brain.

7. Physical therapy which is an option that focuses on prevention and controlling of injuries. This form of therapy encourages healing and restores movement and function.

8. Treatments for sciatica that range from medications to physical therapy and surgery. Biofeedback is another treatment that aids in making it possible to control bodily processes including heart rate, blood pressure, and muscle tension.

9. Treatments for spinal stenosis which may require injections. Different types of injections include epidural, nerve block, and discography.

10. Laminectomy which is a more common back surgery in which the surgeon removes the back portion of on or more vertebrae. Bone spurs and ligaments that are pressing against nerves may be removed at the same time.

11. Spinal decompression which is a nonsurgical option that works by gently stretching the spine. This has been used to treat back and neck pain or sciatica, as well as bulging or herniated disks or degenerative disk disease.